This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/712,723 filed Aug. 29, 2005.
The invention relates to firearms and more specifically to a recoil system for rifles and shotguns.
One age-old problem that exists with firearms is the fact that many of them have a severe recoil that affects the person firing the weapon. In firearms such as shotguns and rifles, the rear end of the butt stock is positioned against the shooter's shoulder and recoil often causes the shooter to raise the front of the firearm each time the weapon is fired and the recoil can result in pain and/or bruising to the shoulder area of the person firing the weapon. One example of the recoil being detrimental to a shooter's accuracy is where the firearm is a shotgun being used for skeet shooting by a male or female.
In the past, the best prior art recoil systems for the butt stock of a firearm have been very expensive and the inexpensive systems did not function properly. Two examples of expensive systems are a hydro-coil fluid dampening system and a pneumatic air chamber system. The present day inexpensive recoil systems utilize compression coil springs to absorb the recoil forces. If the compression coil spring is a little too strong, you get more recoil than with a regular firearm. If the compression coil spring is not strong enough it is worse, in that it gives the gun some travel and it is the same as holding the butt stock to loosely.
One of the improvements in recoil systems for a firearm is illustrated in the Bentley et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,195. It has a pistol grip recoil assembly having a recoil base member and a pistol grip. The recoil base member is detachably secured to the rear end of the receiver of the firearm and it has an inverted T-shaped rail formed on its bottom wall. This inverted T-shaped rail is captured within and slides in an inverted T-shaped groove in the top end of the pistol grip. A recess formed in the front wall of the pistol grip adjacent its top end allows the trigger guard of the firearm to travel rearwardly with respect to the pistol grip when the firearm is fired. Various embodiments utilize springs to return the recoil base member forwardly to its static position after dissipating the recoil of the firearm resulting from its being fired.
Another recent improved recoil system for a firearm is illustrated in the Bentley et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,339. This patent discloses a recoil system for the butt stock of a firearm having a recoil suppressor assembly whose front end is mounted in the cavity in the rear end of the gun stock. The piston ram of the recoil suppressor assembly in its static position extends rearwardly into a bore hole cavity of an elongated recoil housing. When the firearm is shot, the elongated body portion of the recoil suppressor assembly and its transversely extending mounting flange portion instantaneously travel rearwardly into the bore cavity with the bore hole of the body housing reciprocally traveling over the piston ram. A coil spring whose front end is secured to the front end of the body portion and whose rear end is secured to a cam assembly returns the elongated body portion to a static position once the recoil of the firearm has been suppressed.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for a firearm that minimizes the amount of recoil force experienced by the person firing the weapon.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for a firearm that minimizes pain to the shoulder to the person firing the weapon due to recoil forces.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for a firearm that requires limited modification to the forend of a shotgun.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for a firearm that utilizes a block of elastomer material.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for the butt stock of a firearm that is easily mounted on the magazine tube of a shotgun.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel recoil system for shotguns and rifles that is economical to manufacture and market.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel double recoil system for a handgrip attached to a forend.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel recoil reduction system that can be installed into a long gun stock such as used with rifles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel recoil reduction system that allows a battery powered light to be supported by a handgrip member positioned forwardly of the receiver of a shotgun.